India blames US government for WI shooting

By AP StaffAugust 7, 2012 6:40 am

Text Size:AAA

NEW DELHI (AP) - India's prime minister said he was shocked Monday by the shooting attack that killed six people at a Sikh house of worship in the United States, and the top Sikh cleric accused the American government of a `'security lapse."

The attack at the temple in Wisconsin on Sunday sent worshippers running for cover in what police called an act of domestic terrorism.

Small protests condemning the violence were held in Indian cities Monday and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, himself a member of the Sikh faith, called the assault a `'dastardly attack."

"That this senseless act of violence should be targeted at a place of religious worship is particularly painful," he said in a statement.

Giani Gurbachan Singh, the head priest of Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat, called on Sikhs in the U.S. to adopt security measures at the U.S. temples, including installing closed-circuit cameras.

"This is a security lapse on the part of the U.S. government," he said, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. He called for prayers for the victims to be said at Sikh temples across India and ordered a Sikh delegation sent to the U.S. to investigate the attack.

The Indian government rushed its consul general from Chicago, N.J. Gangte, to Wisconsin. India's foreign minister, S.M. Krishna, said the government was awaiting the results of the U.S. investigation and he criticized the gun culture in the United States.

`'The U.S. government will have to take a comprehensive look at this kind of tendency which certainly is not going to bring credit to the United States of America," he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, traveling in Africa, spoke by phone Monday with her counterpart, Krishna, said State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell. He did not immediately have details of the conversation.

U.S. Ambassador to India Nancy Powell paid her respects at a Sikh temple in New Delhi and assured the worshippers there that her government stood with them. Powell expressed condolences and support for thorough investigation into "this horrific crime," Ventrell told reporters in Washington.

In the northern city of Jammu, dozens of Sikhs gathered to protest the shooting, shouting slogans and carrying placards that read, "Ban open sale of weapons in U.S.A." and "Shame Shame Shame."

"It is very shocking. A country like the U.S.A., which says it is a superpower, could not protect its own people," said T.S. Ahluwalia, a marketing executive, as he walked into a Sikh temple in New Delhi.

"To attack a religious place of any religion in the world is very bad," he said.

7 Comments

Comment by PATRIOT August 7, 2012 @ 8:20 am

The senseless shooting in Wisconsin should be condemned by every right-thinking person. As an American citizen, I am offended by the government of India blaming the so called American gun culture for this murderous rampage. This now appears to be the evil work of a single deranged individual. The goverment of India is very hypocritical. When compared to America, India is a much more dangerous country.

As the foreign invasion of America continues by legal and illegal aliens, more and more pressure is placed on our culture. Foreigners no longer assimilate into our culture, they expect Americans to tolerate and accept their foreign cultures. Our government blesses this outrage in the name of tolerance. I would argue that this crowding of American culture creates strong feelings of ill will against foreigners and may have been the ignition point for this most recent murderous rampage.

America should be more pro-active with people that show a potential toward violence. Foreigners, either legal or illegal should be more respectful toward the American people and culture. Foreign governments would be well advised to stay out of American sovereign affairs.

amen to that patriot.the t word tolerance needs to be flushed away like the rest of political correctness.this is america not india,pakistan,iran,iraq,saudi arabia,afghanistan,or any other dam country.this is america people act like we have a pair!

VN:F [1.9.6_1107]

Rate this comment:

please wait...

Rating: 5.0/5 (5 votes cast)

Comment by mittenman August 7, 2012 @ 9:13 am

Yeah and nothing under the sun considered Bad, ever happens in INDIA? Differing religions quarrel and dozens die as a consequence over there, each and every year.
But,…HEY…, We are the ‘nasty guys’.
How many Sikhs were killed in Auto Accidents last year alone?
More than Six?
Where are the demonstrations,for ‘those’ deceased?
Will this occurance slow down those leaving India for Wisconsin,Colorado or any other place in America?
Not hardly. A bad day in America beats the hell out of what can ever be called a Good Day in India.
The proof is in how many Americans move there.
As-In,… zilch??

Just looking up the death tolls in India for the last century, well, not very pretty. A million or so? Hard to say. Oh well. And they do allot of the killing without military action, guns. Humm? Pretty impressive, shocking, Mister Prime Minister of India. Please call to home ALL of your wayward compatriots.

When Dad was bobbing about in the Pacific, in the war with Japan, oh right, in his thoughts, “I might die, so that the rest of the World can move in and displace all that are in my country, relegate my culture, my Country into subservience to others…” Bull. He risked his life for his country, so he thought, so he was led to believe. Stupid fellow.

“Our” so called government has encouraged, willfully pulls in and places, the most alien of peoples, drops them into dissimilar communities, throws out aid, welfare… . This action is criminal, ( NOT, Founding Father Approved™ ) but we have been so trained, to not say anything lest we get called names, and get that inane Melting Pot, thrown at us. It is just a hunch, but what is in the pot, has gone way way bad.

I once made the mistake of comparing the US with Disney Land. Apologizes, Walt! You can visit Disney Land, but you have to pay to play, have to abide by the rules, and you have to LEAVE! If you do not like giant Mice, Dogs, Crickets, Magic… there is no need to visit, no need to visit and then complain!

And now a former US Army Sargent, has gone POSTAL. ( recall when US Postal Workers would go on killing sprees? ) The LEFT must be dancing the happy dance, as the killer was, so it seems, some kind of skinhead neo-nazi. Not a perfect dream come true, as Hitler devotees are kind of, way out there. The Tea Party, was wished upon a star, but this will have to do for the left, by Jiminy!

A security lapse? What about the terrorist attack in Mumbai a few years back? That was a security lapse for YOUR COUNTRY> How was this a security lapse for the U.S.?
In our country we have what is known as FREEDOM. Everyone is not under a microscope. People are allowed their own opinion of things. This is just an example of hatred that has been bred by ignorance. And you country making such accusations does not help the situation. This was ONE MAN acting ON HIS OWN.

What was the US government SUPPOSE to do? Create a police state where EVERY building EVERYWHERE is under military security?
Tell ya what India, go ahead and send foreign aid to the US to pay for security at whatever places in the US you want. If you want every Sikh temple covered all the time, multiple the daily security cost by 365 and then multiply that by the number of Sikh temples in the US and you’ll have your figure.

VN:F [1.9.6_1107]

Rate this comment:

please wait...

Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

Comment by debe26 August 7, 2012 @ 12:18 pm

I am all for peace and mutual consideration for all, FOR ALL! I am concerned for the Christian Churches that have been desecrated and burned in the last few months with nothing done about it. Prime Minister, before you “call the kettle black” you better start cleaning up your own house. At least the police came immediately and did something or there would have been more destruction.
For those in our company that wish to complain – There is an old song that was popular years ago, it went somthing like this -
If you don’t like your Old Uncle Sammy, then go back to your home o’r the sea,
To the land from where you came, whatever be its name,
But don’t be unfaithful to me!
If you don’t like the Stars in Old Glory, If you don’t like the Red, White and Blue,
Then don be like the cur in the story, DON’T BITE THE HAND THATS FEEDING YOU!